Get the real deal on beauty treatments—real doctors, real reviews, and real photos with real results.Here's how we earn your trust.

26 y.o, 5.4', 125lbs/57kg with deflated B, hoping for a natural C and lower pole fullness - 255cc Mod+ Anatomical. Dual Plane

UPDATED FROM Elle_UK
9 days post

Day 9 - Back to Work, P.O. Follow Up & Progress on Bruising

User Avatar
Elle_UK
hello ladies
Today was my first day back at work and boy was it nice to have a distraction from my frankenboobs.

Amazingly, I have been militant with the arnica and as of Tuesday after getting the all clear from my PS, my horrible bruising instantly started to disappear!!!

One thing that isn't great is my appetite - boy do I want to eat...and all of those naughty foods too!!!
I need to behave myself the scales have shot back up to 58kg which is no surprise given I have been waffling down carbs and various other comfort food like nobody's business.

After work was straight to the hospital to get my stitches trimmed and saw my incisions for the very first time. Raised and bumpy and PS says I can expect these to become worse before they get better and to prepare myself for some major itching...apparently the tape can come off in a week.

I took notes from the meeting and will try and post these soon. Now to start thinking about scar therapy, massaging and what to use. Tagederm diamond has been suggested as well as silicone gel, so may take to the forum again for recommendations. My concern is hyperpigmentation, as a couple of other scars have ended up pretty dark and I would love to have some nice light scars on the girls...so if anyone has any recommendations or experience please do let me know.

Wishing you all well and enjoying reading/commenting on everyone else's updates.

Night night!

Replies (5)

User Avatar
May 29, 2015
Lol I'm TOTALLY with you on the food... Omg, pizza, nachos, fries... Ugh I was a monster the first week!! It also didn't help that it felt easier to order in or get takeout than to cook... Also, loved your pics - it looks like you chose the perfect size for your body :) Hopefully you'll start feeling better about the frankenboob feeling you're having... It takes a while to go away but it does!
User Avatar
May 29, 2015
Make sure to use silicone sheeting. It can be purchased at many stores (pharmacy, etc). It is more expensive than scar cream, but it is reusable. Problem with scar cream: you have to apply 3 times a day for 2-3 months. Who can do that !? ..... or you can put on a silicone sheet (cut to fit) and just remember to rinse it off every couple days (stays on like a bandaid without the sticky glue residue). It also has been proven more effective. But upfront, the cost is slightly more.... but what is it worth to not have a scar? (you would by 8 tubes of scar cream at 4.00 each, or silicone sheeting at 45.00 once). Also make to KEEP IT OUT OF THE SUN. Any all UV rays are a huge NO.
User Avatar
June 5, 2015
Frankenboobs!!!! Omg thank you for the humor! I needed that, I still have a high-riding breast (5 wks post op) and often feel diacouraged! I can make them look beautiful in most any shirt, bikini top but naked still feel uneasy since there is an onvious difference! My appetite came back in a naughty naughty way and I felt like I was a 14 year old pms-ing from all the grease/sugar I craved the 2nd & 3rd weeks. I managed to suppress most all bouts but it wasnt with out a struggle! :).
User Avatar
June 18, 2015

Checking in to see how you're doing. Have you noticed some dropping and fluffing?

July 22, 2015
Hey girl! How are you doing?
UPDATED FROM Elle_UK
7 days post

End of day 7 - Feeling reassured and much less emotional

User Avatar
Elle_UK
Hi all,

Thanks for your kind messages yesterday when I was freaking out big time.

I was woken up at 7am by my phone ringing and it was my surgeon. I heard his voice and Al,out burst in to tears (so emotional what is going on I!)
Further to my day 6 post, he told me to come in immediately to see him, that all had looked good at the end of surgery and it was best he took a proper look at me if not only to alleviate my concerns.

Made my way to the hospital and he got me a coffee and talked through the surgery a bit. He explained that my prodecure had involved manipulation of my IMF, and that the asymmetry I started out with in both breast and ribcage meant that my breasts had different treatment during surgery, which could be why one had bruising and the other (which had dropped) was fine.
He explained that the fibres at my IMF (crease) had been broken to allow the implant and crease to drop to a lower position, and as my crease had been slightly more pronounced on the right hand side than the left (where my ribcage also protrudes slightly - didn't know this until my initial consultation as its invisible to the eye) that more work had been done on the tissues here.
He said that the left implant was dropping and that there can be liquid and strange swelling coming and going throughout the healing process and that he believed the implant was still in position (I.e. Had not rotated and was still behind the muscle at the top) or 'dropped'. I must've gotten used to the high swollen look!!!
Once the swelling had gone down on both sides true implant positioning would be much clearer and would make the assessment then. He said his main concern for me was that the implants both dropped correctly in to the new fold and that due to substantially more bruising on the right side, that this may take some time to catch up progress wise.

He removed the plasters to check the incisions on both and see the bruise on my right breast properly. I was so so relieved to see that once the plaster was removed that what looked like a huge pool of blood gathering was smatterings of bruises and some clear skin by the incision - I genuinely believed he would remove this and the whole area would be covered.
He said he wished he could wrap me in cotton wool, that I should not be doing any more 'strange experiments' (i.e. Strange pose from yday' pic) and basically to chill and trust my body.

I walked to Hampstead, got lunch (scrambled eggs and smoked salmon) and worked in a cafe afterwards, then came home around 3pm and slept for 5 hours!!! Had no idea I was so tired. I had a friend visiting Sun/Mon, went out Sunday night and went to an MSc study session on Mon too as worried I would drop behind, especially given how crazy work will be when I return this Thursday.
I've probably pushed myself a little hard upon realising I wouldnt be bedridden with the pain - my first post re a Game of Thrones marathon in bed hasn't even come close to happening!

In conclusion, I think that is probably the real issue here - I know I have been doing too much and don't trust my body after frequent viral infections, horrendous tonsillitis in adulthood and fluctuating weight all of my life.
A huge cold sore has appeared today And I get them when stressed or run down, so I guess is likely due to the antibiotics and an intense day of anxiety/paranoia yesterday.
I'm eating my pineapple, popping my arnica pills as required, scoffing protein like my life depends on it, glugging coconut water (which I am now slightly addicted to - not good given the sugar content) & trying to rest.
SO...I just need to keep doing it, stop freaking myself out, trying to push myself to recover overnight and start trusting my body and being logical about it.

Quite the emotional spill but want to document everything as I know I can't be the only one, and also want to look back on this in 6 months and see how far I've come.

Night ladies and thanks for reading :)
Elle x

Replies (4)

User Avatar
May 27, 2015
Sorry about all of the typos in my post. I am using my iPad and it keeps autocorrecting without me noticing!
User Avatar
May 27, 2015
Really glad to hear the good news!! I hope everything only goes up from here!!
User Avatar
May 27, 2015
Glad to hear you got some answers. Hang in there, I think at the three week mark it will be a distant memory.
User Avatar
May 27, 2015
Yikes what a stressful couple days!! Glad you got to see your surgeon and get some good news & some relief from your anxiety... Take it easy the next little while & remember to give yourself lots of relaxation time:) The first week is the worst for sure. Happy healing!!
May 27, 2015
I am so glad to read that the doctor was able to explain what is happening - it really does make sense. I am afraid you have to wait for a couple of months until you will see whether the doctor was able to reduce the asymmetry - but until then I hope you can relax and heal without that much anxiety. Get better soon!
UPDATED FROM Elle_UK
6 days post

Day 6 & so scared :(

User Avatar
Elle_UK
The bleeding has not changed and the other implant has fallen...what appears to be too far down and also inwards. There is a double bubble appearing also which I noticed in the fitting room of the shop I visited earlier. I was so surprised that I came home immediately because since this morning something hasn't felt right. I emailed over the weekend saying I could not wait until Thursday to see or speak with my surgeon re the bleeding but the other breast was not acting up either at this point. I am so frightened and am 99% sure I have an infection and that I will need to have the bleeding drained. I got the PS assistants out of office when I emailed, she is back tomorrow and he is on holiday until Thursday.

I got home from the shops and just had to take the adhesive band off, because I wanted to see if there was bruising under the skin around the edge of the implant and how even/uneven they were. It's hard to tell with my complelexion you see as bruising often appears yellow, greenish or even brown when under my skin - it is green where my IV was.

No out of hours number was provided and I feel very upset and alone. I'm worried that my left implant has rotated and bottomed out and that my right is infected. Financially/time wise with my busy job resolving is going to be such a huge challenge for me and really not what I had hoped for or expected. Maybe I am panicking in the absence of my PS to advise here. When I look at that photo (post shower, bio oil because of all the weird changes and arms behind my back to show the current implant positioning) it makes me want to burst in to tears.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me ladies, I'm petrified.

Replies (5)

User Avatar
May 25, 2015
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. Your PS should have a number in case of emergencies. I hope you hear back soon! Praying for you!!
User Avatar
May 26, 2015
Thanks Kaybe! I'll keeo you ladies posted and am hoping for the best. It definitely seems that the one that has dropped has somehow rotated - praying I can get in to see PS tomorrow or Wednesday. Thanks for your kind words x
User Avatar
May 26, 2015
So sorry things are not going well. If you look at your original images (before surgery)- it shows the doctor was planning on placing your implant lower to even out your nipple placement as one of your breasts was higher than the other. I wouldn't panic- as your nipples are still even and if you had truly bottomed out, the nipple would be very high and it is currently level with the adjacent one. Rotation is caused if the pocket becomes lose, this can happen during the excision or from stretching of the pocket. It is most commonly the fault of the surgeon, and therefore surgeons shy away from using the anatomicals because of the possibility of failure. However, do remember that when you have that amount of bruising, the excision may have been a little more violent (the more precision the less bruising) and therefore you may also have increased swelling. Swelling is not orderly and can turn up in random places over the course of recovery. It is possible that there is significant swelling and the implants are migrating into proper position, which takes time.
User Avatar
May 27, 2015
Ever the voice of reason - thank you so much!!!
User Avatar
May 27, 2015
You're doing great. So brave, and so strong. You will soon be so happy :)
May 25, 2015
Hey girl! This sounds awfull! I am so sorry! Don't panic though. It is normal that the implants drop at their own rate. Maybe one is just a little lazy. Also the swelling may make a difference and here again, one boob might be much more swollen than the other, which might look a big funny. As for the bruising, don't worry - I have seen so much worse bruising here. It really does not look bad at all. Apply cooling and treat yourself with hot chocolate for your nerves. If you are in pain, take a sick day! Take care and relax. :)
User Avatar
May 26, 2015
Thanks MiaMerl. The hot chic helped x
May 25, 2015
Hi elle, I'm Danielle, I'm 28 and from the Midlands, UK. I had my op on Thursday so think I'm a few days behind you but I also have 1 breast that has dropped and the other is still high. I also have 1 swollen breast and the other is fine so at the minute I look very wonky and a funny shape. I'm sure this will correct its self over time!!! I'm on day 4 and am due back at the Nuffield on day 7 so will see what they say then........... Good luck, keep us updated :-) x
User Avatar
May 26, 2015
Thanks so much Danielle x
User Avatar
May 27, 2015
Hi Danielle Are you going to do a review as well? I clicked on your profile but you didn't have one, would love to hear about your experiences :) xx
User Avatar
May 26, 2015
Thank you all so much for your comments and supportive words - definitely massively anxious. I woke up to a call from the surgeon this morning and went straight in to see him. He said that we will continue to review - checked my incisions to
User Avatar
May 26, 2015
Somehow I added a comment before finishing it. Am still at the hospital but will update later. Thanks again everyone!
May 26, 2015
Fingers crossed!